Gospel News magazine features articles from new Christadelphian converts in Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa and elsewhere. Here are the articles for April - June 2007.

The Sinfulness of Man
Bro Emmanuel Maugente (Magunje, Zimbabwe)

What is sin? Sin is doing what we know is wrong. It also means leaving undone what is right (James 4:17).

There is a difference between temptation and sin. We must try to understand this clearly. It is not a sin to be tempted to do wrong. We know that Jesus himself was tempted (Matthew 4:1-11). We sin only when we do not fight against temptation. Jealousy, hatred and pride can live in our thoughts before they are seen in our actions (Matthew 15:19).
We can sin by our words. They can be untruthful, unkind, impure. We can speak disrespectfully of God’s house and laws. This is a prayer in the Bible which all Christians should pray, “Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth keep the door of my lips” (Psalms 141:3). We can sin by our actions: stealing, gambling and cheating are sins which can be seen. These outward sins make the world dark and unhappy, yet the sins of thoughts and words are just as evil in God’s sight. We see, therefore, that sin can be inward or outward. Some people think they have sinned only when they have sinned outwardly. But actions begin with thoughts, the seed is there. Jesus showed that a man has already done wrong in his heart before he does wrong outwardly.

Sin is the most terrible thing in the world. It is the cause of all the unhappiness that men suffer. There are great world evils like war, hatred between nations, hunger and famine. There are evils like drunkenness and gambling. Yet all evils, both small and great, come from the sinfulness and selfishness of men.

Sin breaks the laws of God. The important thing for Christians to remember is that we know about sin because we know about God. It is God’s voice in our hearts that makes us conscious of sin. Sin comes between us and God. It breaks the link of fellowship with Him. This is why sin makes us suffer. This is why we say sin offends (or hurts) God (Isaiah 59:2). We can understand the words of David when he said “Against thee, thee only have I sinned, and done that which is evil in thy sight” (Ps 51:4).

God has set His law in our hearts. His law we call conscience, which warns us against wrong. It makes us glad when we have chosen the right. It makes us miserable and guilty when we have done wrong. A guilty conscience is a heavy burden. Many people carry this burden. Joseph’s brothers knew they had wronged him. When they met him in Egypt years afterwards, their consciences were still making them suffer. Judas had such a guilty conscience that he killed himself in despair. All of us can understand these feelings because we have all shared them. The Bible tells us clearly, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Remember Lot’s Wife (Luke 17:32)
Bro Jonathan Nkombe (Sumbwanga, Tanzania)

In order to understand what Jesus meant, we must look at the historical background to this woman, so we have made four headings;

1. WHO WAS LOT’S WIFE?
Lot, the son of Abram’s brother, had a wife whose name is not given she is known just as “Lot’s wife” and this is how Jesus refered to her.

2. WHAT WERE HER PRIVILEGES?
Lot, “that righteous man” (2 Pet 2:8), married her. If there are those who may wish to marry a righteous man, Lot’s wife had that blessing, apart from being married to Lot, she also lived within the blessings of Abram the first one to receive God’s promise concerning His Kingdom. It is obvious that the prayers of Abram and his blessings were not secret to her.

When she and the people were taken captive by Chedorlaomer, she witnessed how God, through Abram, saved them. She ate the bread and drank wine brought by Melchizedek the king of Salem, who was a shadow of the coming King, Jesus Christ (Gen 14:18 –20. Heb 7; 3 –17).

She would have attended on the two Angels sent by God to destroy Sodom. She was encouraged by the two angels in hurrying Lot, her and her daughters from Sodom so that they would not be destroyed, Gen 19:1-3;12-16. If we set our minds on the privileges of Lot’s wife,, she had a lot.

3. WHAT KIND OF SIN DID SHE COMMITT?
We need to remember the word God spoke to them through the angel, “do not turn back” (Gen .19:17). This statement of God to them was very plain with no need of translation. Church goers when they read this verse they ignore this and claim that the sin she committed was very, very small but the Bible does not say so, but we must understand that sin is a transgression of the law of God 1 John 3:4.

Now in order to get the inner meaning of God from this Verse “ Do not turn back” the Bible says, she started the journey with her husband and two daughters to Zoar, she was happy to have the chance to escape from the destruction, while they were on the journey to Zoar the Bible says, “But Lot’s wife turned back” (Gen 19:26). The word “turned back” probably reveals the inner character of Lot’s wife and her life style in Sodom. She was disobedient to God.
She disbelieved and lacked faith in what God had told her and did not appreciate that without faith it is impossible to please Him (Heb 11:6).

She set her mind on worldly things and so showed a lack of real love of God. Although she directed her face towards Zoar her heart remained in Sodom. The Bible says where your treasure is, there will your heart be also( Matt 6:21), her heart was in Sodom and “ turned back” and reaped the wages of sin.

4 WHY DID GOD PUNISH LOT’S WIFE?
Our God is a God of kindness, mercy, graciousness and love, and forgives sins and is very patient with us. He gave her many priviledges and these should have encouraged her to serve and obey God. God’s kindness is meant to lead to repentance (Rom 2:4). However, those that despise the word bring destruction on themselves (Pro 13:1).

So what did Jesus mean when he said, REMEMBER LOT’S WIFE? Jesus did not say this to the Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes but he told his friends the beloved disciples Peter, John, James etc, and all who will believe him through them. This is the great warning to all of us. Jesus knew that some of his disciples would not reach the end of their journey as they later turned back (John 6:64-66). There are many brothers and sisters who have been missionaries in one country or more but now they have turned back as did Lot’s wife. There are brothers and sisters who supported the work of God in the starting of their journey but now have turned back, like Lot’s wife. There are those who received privileges when they believed but now have turned back. The Bible say’s “what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul” (Matt 16:26).

Lot’s wife had many privileges from God, but perished and there are others who will likewise perish because they turned back. Through this warning to remember Lot’s wife, we have been given a beacon to life so as to understand about our future and to get prepared, as every one of us shall stand before the judgment seat of Jesus Christ to give an account of our stewardship (2Cor 5:10).

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AN AMBITION
“It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation. Rather as it is written. Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand. This is why I have often been hindered from coming to you” (Romans 15:20-21)

The Old Paths are the Right Ways
Bro. Isidore E. Mwibeleca (Lugufu 1, Tanzania)

“Stand ye in the ways, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls” (Jeremiah 6:16-17).

God in His mercy was to establish Israel as an instrument of divine revelation in the world and constitute her a witness amongst the contemporary pagan generation, one true and living God (Deut. 7:6-8). God therefore told them: “Take care to follow the commands, decrees and law I gave you today.” (Deut. 7:11-12). But Israel rebelled and sinned against the Lord God.

About five years after King Josiah instituted his reform in Jerusalem, the prophet Jeremiah received a divine call to prophesy to the people of Judah and the surrounding nations. (Jer. 1:9, 20:9, 1:6). Jeremiah concentrated upon warning the nation about the imminent disaster from the north (Jer. 1:13) and denouncing the various corruptions of contemporary life. Jeremiah like other prophets was sent by God to lead Israel with knowledge and understanding (Jer. 3:15). But despite the stubbornness of their hearts God in his kindness asked them to return to him if only they acknowledged their guilty heart (Jer. 3:12-13). Therefore God wanted them to live. He clearly told them “to stand at the crossroads and look, ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.”

God had recalled the nation to remember about his undying love achieved in the Israeli’s history, prophecy and the Law which represented the good ways. That means to take care to follow the commands, decrees and laws which are the ancient paths of the Mosaic tradition best to practice because they are true. Through these they would be saved. But they refused to walk in them and were engaged in the “work of flesh” (Deut. 9:12). The prophets were God’s sentinels over the nations (Isa. 52:8, Ezek. 3:17, Hab. 2:1).

The trumpet blast was a signal to escape the disaster (Amos 6:1, 3:6). But they hardened their hearts despite all the warnings, the people refused to flee from the wrath to come. God called the Gentiles to witness the sentence of destruction that would come to them because the nation had ignored God’s word and rejected the covenant with him (Jer. 6:18-19). For that reason the nation suffered a severe persecution because of their sins.

So for us today God’s love proves to us that he does not show favouritism (Rom. 2:11). Jews and Gentiles alike are under sin. All have turned away and become worthless (Rom. 3:9-18). It was because that God had compassion towards all mankind that he sent His one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

The Bible today is our trumpet blast which warns us of the coming disaster in this world. Jesus Christ is the new covenant who made us able to approach God on an individual basis rather than as members of a historically-covenanted group. Walking in the ways of God is to learn, understand and practice His promises in Christ Jesus and appreciate our heavenly Father for the value of the precious hope of life eternal He sets before us freely if only we repent. Jesus Christ is to come in this world suddenly and will judge the world..

There is time for any person to repent and be healed while God’s wrath is tempered with mercy. “For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him (Ps. 103:11). Dear brethren and sisters, let us not engage ourselves in the work of the flesh nor in worldly things that are to pass away at the appearing of Christ Jesus. Let us be firm in the Truth; patient, gentle and compassionate to exhort and praying for those who are out of God’s ways while the time remains. Why lose courage?

A letter from Australia
Dick, Janet, James and Leah Hillhouse.

"What a great privilege for our family to attend the Winter Eastern European Bible School in Poltava, Ukraine, last January. Coming from Australia, we didn't know what to expect, especially with the language barrier and not knowing anyone at all except Duncan and Cindy. Well, we certainly learned that in Christ, all barriers are broken down and we could feel the love and warmth of these brothers and sisters from many different countries in Eastern Europe. It was a real inspiration to see their love of the Word of God, and how they can apply it to their daily lives. They certainly had some animated discussion over the daily readings each morning, with some very profound thoughts coming from their discussion. This of course was all in Russian, so we thank Cindy for her fast typing on her laptop in English so we knew what was being said.

We had the readings each morning, which often went for over 1/2 hrs, then studies in English (translated into Russian) till 2pm when we ate lunch. Free time then till 5.30pm was a good time for us visitors to visit internet cafes to keep in touch with those at home, and explore the town of Poltava, and we enjoyed these excursions with Bro Matt Blewett from South Aftica, another speaker at the Bible School. The weather was exceptionally warm for this time of year, so it was easy to get about with no snow. We then had further studies till 7.30 pm when dinner was served. After dinner, the evening sessions were of a lighter nature, as everyone was tired after a full day, and we especially enjoyed the wonderful concert put on by the brothers and sisters after the baptism of two sisters, Marianne and Luba.

As there were about 80 people at the Bible School, we unfortunately couldn't get to know everyone personally, but for us the highlight was the time we could spend at meals or in the evenings after the studies, getting to know individuals and hearing their stories with a translator of course. We also heard some testimonies from brothers and sisters of how they came to know the gospel, and their personal stories were very touching.

Brethren from Estonia, Ukraine, Russia and Belarus acting our the conversation of the Ethiopian eunuch.

Above Sister Danita from Belarus outlining her plans for Sunday School work with local children

Many brothers and sisters in Eastern Europe, have difficult lives, often poor health, and have to work such long hours. They really cherish these times when they are able to get together, often from very long distances, to learn from God's Word and encourage each other, make new friends and rekindle old friendships. Many of them only see each other once a year if they can get to Bible School. The Bible School venue certainly was not luxurious by any standards, but no-one minded, as it was just being together in this wonderful fellowship that mattered. Any money donated to help this cause, was certainly well worth it, to see the joy on people's faces as they met up again, to be able to forget their daily lives for just a short while and enjoy a joyful time around the Word of God. We thank all the brothers and sisters at the Bible School for sharing it with us, for being such an inspiration to us and for making us part of their family. We will remember all of you in our prayers and have wonderful memories of this time with you all."

Abraham’s Faith
Bro. Moses Dhlakama (Chipinge, Zimbabwe)

When Abraham required a burial place for his wife Sarah, he did not possess even enough of that land for that sad purpose, but had to buy a field for 400 shekels of silver (Gen. 23:15-16). Nearly 2000 years later the writer of the letter to the Hebrews, commented on this strange situation: “By faith (Abraham) sojourned in the land of promise, as in a foreign land… For he looked forward to the city which has foundations whose builder and maker is God” (Heb. 11:9-10). The city for which Abraham looked was not one in the sky, although it would be a heavenly city, but a divinely provided political occupation of the very same land that the Lord had promised him and had covenanted to him and to his descendants.

To me Abraham is the prime example of a man of supreme faith. He fully believed the solemn promises that God had made to him of a land and a people, when the land was occupied by others, when he did not have a child and his wife was barren. It is not given to many men to have a faith such as that. But his faith went even further, for he realized that neither he nor his descendants would have that land during his lifetime. His faith therefore was extended to believe that God could and would raise him, up from the dead.

These divine covenants with Abraham are the basis of the ‘Hope of Israel’ which is the theme that gradually unfolds in the Bible, which takes on a deeper meaning with the advent of Jesus Christ, and which is about to reach its tremendous climax with the second advent of the Messiah, the promised, specific, descendant of Abraham, through whom the whole of the covenant will be completed. Amen.

Mastering The Weight
Bro. Sylvester Tembo (Mzuzu, Malawi)

The Bible is plain and emphatic that we all have descended from Adam. Therefore being descendants of Adam, we are under the law of sin and death. If all this had ended here we would be pitied, but thanks to our God for His unfathomable love.

Every son of Adam has a ‘weight’ which without the intervention of God would bring man to an end without any further hope. Now because of what God did through Christ, the weight in man can be mastered. Let us admit we all have weights. The writer to the Hebrews says, “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that easily entangles” - The weight that hinders progress in our walk in Christ. It is not my duty to point out the weight or sin of any of us, but if we can take a close self examination of ourselves, we can be good witnesses of ourselves. Jesus made mention of the foot and the eye; if these cause us to sin, it is better to cut them off. The implication is that having established the area of our failings, or weight, we had better stop doing that particular thing which causes us to stumble and fall.

But with our own strength this is quite an impossibility. The sin burden in us has to be surrendered to Christ who is always very willing to relieve us. He said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). Yes indeed the burden of sin is wearisome. This is why the writer to the Hebrews says, ‘it is a weight which needs to be laid aside’, so our progress in the race before us can be won.

Great News from Washington, USA.

"On Sunday 26 November, 2006 Brother Michael Warren of the Vancouver, Washington USA ecclesia had the honor of baptizing Scott and Lisa Ketelsen of Tacoma, Washington.

"Scott and Lisa had been members of a church for ten years in Puyallup,Washington but were excommunicated a year ago for believing that Jesus was the Son of God, and not "God the Son." There were others excommunicated also, whom Scott and Lisa have been in regular contact with, and whom they've shared Bible literature with.

"Scott and Lisa met Brother Warren through an online advertizement he placed on Craigs list seeking other "Biblical Unitarians" who were in isolation or seeking like-minded believers. Scott and Lisa had already come to a basic understanding of the Truth, but were not familiar with Christadelphians. Over the past few months they have spent numerous hours listening to MPR downloads on Bible doctrine, and reading Christadlephian literature.

"Although both Scott and Lisa had been baptized before, they both felt a need to be rebaptized in the name of Yashuah the Anointed One, the Son of God. They believe that the new knowledge they have received over the past year is so important that they wanted to commit themselves to the true God, and His Son, in the presence of like-minded brothers and sisters.

"There were 22 people present at the baptism and at the dinner that followed at the home of Brother Wayne Franklin, and his wife Sister Jill. Many members of the Vancovuer Ecclesia, and brothers and sisters from the surrounding area came to witness the baptism, and to fellowship over a wonderful turkey dinner! "So, we welcome Brother Scott and Sister Lisa to our worldwide brotherhood!"

"The Vancouver USA ecclesia has also been very busy mailing out Introduction to Bible Basics booklets all over the USA and Canada. We mail out hundreds of booklets every month. Sister Jill Franklin should be applauded for her hard work and dedication to this outreach! She spends hours every week stamping envelopes and booklets with our ecclesia's post office box. She also places a form letter in each envelope and mails them! We've begun to get Q&A sheets back from some of the folks who are reading the booklet. Please pray for this Carelinks outreach that we will see a great harvest of souls in this endeavor. Truly, the need is great and the time is late. There is a great harvest to reap, but there are few laborers!

"If you would like to become more involved with outreach here in the USA and Canada, please contact the Vancouver Ecclesia regarding helping out with Bible literature, or with projects you can help support through Carelinks USA. info@vancouverecclesia.net.
In Our Shared Hope,
Brother Michael Warren on behalf of The Vancouver USA Ecclesia, and Carelinks USA."

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Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world (Rom 10v18)
Free Dictionary / Thesaurus
As part of our on-going programme of endeavouring to help our readers understand the English language, we are happy to send a free Dictionary/Thesaurus to any that send material for publication in Gospel News. The Dictionary has clear definitions of over 40,000 words and the Thesaurus 100,000 synonyms (words that mean the same, sometimes giving a deeper meaning) - listed in word groups of synonyms and related concepts. From: Christadelphian Advancement Trust, 49 The Woodfields, South Croydon, Surrey CR2 OHJ, England.

NOTES TO EXPLAIN A LITTLE ABOUT THE THESAURUS WHICH IS AFTER THE DICTIONARY

The dictionary explains simply what a word means.

The Thesaurus provides each word with a list of words which have a similar meaning but NOT necessarily the same meaning. In English, one word can have several meanings or even a lot of meanings. Words with similar meanings have a comma (,) between them and words with different meanings have a semicolon (;) between them.

Some words in the Thesaurus have many different meanings and have a small figure 1 or 2 which will indicate this. An example is the word ‘firm; firm’ is an adjective (describing word) and the many words with similar meanings are in 4 groups; firm (small 2) is a noun meaning a company or business.

If you are not sure about the meaning of a word, you may be able to check it in the Dictionary. We hope that you will find the book, and this note, useful.

Is The Bible The Word Of God? (brief notes from a talk)
Bro David Webb (Walton, UK)

The intricate design of living things and the precise balance of the solar system cry out to us that there must be a grand designer. We start with the premises that there is a God – our Creator.
We would EXPECT such a wise designer and creator to COMMUNICATE with his creation - to let them know why he made them, what he expects of them, and what future they might have.

Where do we look for such a revelation? Man’s writings make no serious claim to be from God, and man’s opinions often contradict one another. A revelation from God would TELL US and CLAIM that status – that is the first test we can apply. This narrows the field down to a few books claiming divine authority or origin, and the Bible stands out as superior in every way.

Many writers acknowledge that the Bible is unique. One wrote as follows:-
“There is an extraordinary wisdom, sublimity and majesty in the style of the Bible, which is above man. Strange as it may seem, the ancient writers of scripture have produced a book which even today is unrivalled…It stands entirely alone…because there is a strain, a style, and a tone of thought which separates it from all other writings.”

Let us apply some tests:-
1)Does it claim to be God’s Word? Yes, throughout! Note 2 Peter 1:21: “Holy men of God spake AS THEY WERE MOVED by the Holy Spirit (the power of God)”.

2)Does it speak with authority? Yes, throughout. One example – Isaiah 8:20: “If they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them”.

3)Have its prophecies been fulfilled? Yes, time and again, in detail. For example, the whole history of the Jews, their scattering, survival and re-gathering, all foretold in advance, in detail. Likewise Babylon was to perish (fulfilled exactly) Egypt was to remain, but always a third-rate country (fulfilled exactly). Many more examples can be given to convince a fair mind.

1)Is its TEACHING consistent? Yes, for example, from beginning to end it teaches that mankind is MORTAL: death is OBLIVION although there is hope of a future RESURRECTION for those who respond to the love of God.

2)If it is the word of God, we would expect it to have a very important message- does it? Yes, it tells us how we can be saved from the consequences of our own sins and failings – by belief in “the things concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 8:12).
As we would expect, the message is both important and urgent, calling upon all men and women to ACT, and DO SOMETHING before it is too late. Jesus instructed his disciples like this: “Go into all the world, and preach the gospel (good news) to every creature. HE THAT BELIEVETH AND IS BAPTISED SHALL BE SAVED” (Mark 16:15,16).

The ultimate proof that the Bible is the Word of God is its message. It gives true teaching on all moral issues and, above all, it tells us what to do to be saved from an eternal grave. Surely this is what we would expect from a book claiming to be the Word of God?!

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Did the people in the Old Testament have forgiveness of sins? If they did, why was it necessary for Jesus to die?
Bro Leon and Sis Joan Shuker, (South Africa)

Briefly, the godly people in the OT could have forgiveness in the prospect of Jesus’ sacrificial death whereas we can have forgiveness in retrospect of Jesus’ sacrifice.

Jesus’ death is the all-sufficient and only means of forgiveness for all, no matter when they lived. So it is efficacious for all sins – those which were committed before he came and those which continue to be committed since his death.

Regarding the past, Paul says in Romans 3: 25, 26:
“God presented him (Jesus) as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished – he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” (NIV).

The King James’ version puts it:
(Jesus) “whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God…that he (God) might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus”.

So in the New Testament and Christian era, we get (Luke 24: 47):
“and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his (Jesus’) name to all nations”.

In the Old Testament era, we get:
- the rather enigmatic verse, Genesis 3:15, which promises a descendant of Eve who would deal a mortal blow to the sin power.

- the promise to Abraham that in his seed (singular) all nations would be blessed (Genesis 22:18) – of no consequence to Abraham if it didn’t work for him too! This promise was repeated to Isaac and Jacob.

- all the elaborate ritual of the Law of Moses, teaching that every sin had to be atoned for through the offering of a perfect sacrifice. Clearly, God didn’t want a perfect animal but a perfect human being. No man could offer himself as this and so the faithful in the OT recognised that God would provide the means of satisfying this requirement. And so their forgiveness and salvation would come through him. That is why, in John 8: 56, Jesus says to the Jews, “Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad”. And why Paul in Galatians 3: 8 said, “The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you.’”

Two points are worth pondering:
- God knows the end from the beginning (we don’t) and knew that giving human beings free will would result in disobedience (sin) requiring a saviour. Therefore God planned, from the beginning, to send Jesus to be a sacrifice for sin. So Jesus is referred to in Revelation as the ‘Lamb slain from the foundation of the world’’ (Revelation 13: 8).

- God cannot just ignore or turn a blind eye to sin. It is abhorrent to Him and must be dealt with. God demands perfect righteousness and He cannot compromise his holiness. Thus the problem – how can God be just and yet justify sinners? The solution He devised: accepting the offering of the perfect life of Jesus (one of us) and granting forgiveness of sins and imputing righteousness to those who believe and are baptised into Christ.

The Name of God
Bro. Moses Dhlakama (Chipinge, Zimbabwe)

Well if we want to learn about someone’s life, clearly we must get to know them closely. This is so as far as the life of God is concerned. The Lord Jesus says (John 17:3) “this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent”. How then do we come to know God, the great Almighty Creator of all things?

This vital question occupied the mind of Moses and he realized that in order to know God, one had to have a knowledge of His ways. In Exodus 33:13 it is recorded that Moses said unto the Lord, “Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, show me now thy way, that I may know thee.”

“If I have found grace in thy sight”. Moses acknowledges that God chooses who his will be (in v.19). With this in mind Moses asks to be shown God’s ways that he may thereby come to know Him. Now if we take the terms of Moses’ request and also those of divine response, we learn that God’s ways are His glory, and that this refers to God’s goodness. Furthermore all this – His ways, His glory and His goodness – constitute His Name.

Here then in this brief summary of God’s characteristics, is a proclamation of His Name – what He is known for – His glory, His ways, His goodness. There is an added attribute in v.14 of chapter 34 where we are told that “the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God”. The actual Hebrew names that are used here (translated as “LORD” and “God” in the English) add an important dimension to what we are being told. It is not simply that this is what God is like (though that is true). This proclamation uses two Hebrew titles: “the Lord”(Hebrew: YAHWEH, meaning HE WHO WILL BE), “God” (Hebrew: MIGHTY ONES”). All in all it means WHO WILL BE MIGHTY ONES which are to manifest the characters shown to Moses.

The Seven Steps to Salvation
Bro Mayende Erisania Sifuna (Busia, Uganda)

The Bible teaches that sin is transgression of God’s law. All people who know the difference between right and wrong have sinned and our sins separate us from God. The punishment for sin is death, “the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 6:23).

God loves us. He does not want us to perish, therefore He has provided a way to be forgiven, “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). In order for us to be forgiven of our sins, and therefore receive eternal life, we must accept the salvation which Christ has made possible. There are five steps which we must take to receive this salvation:

HEAR
First, we must hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). One is not a Christian because his parents are. Faith cannot be inherited (Eze 18:20). Each person must believe in Jesus Christ for himself. Christianity is a religion of teaching, Matthew 28:19,20. Unless one has heard the gospel and learned that Jesus Christ died, was buried and rose from the dead, he cannot be saved, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. The apostle Paul wrote, “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” Romans 10:14. One must first hear the gospel before they can believe it.

BELIEVE
Second, one must believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus said, “If you do not believe that I am he, you will die in your sins” John 8:24. The jailor at Philippi asked Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved? They told him to, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household” (Acts 16:30,31). Jesus also said, “He who believes and is baptised will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). One comes to believe in Jesus Christ when one hears the gospel he taught. Faith comes only by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17). This is the reason it is so important that the gospel be preached to the whole world (Mark 16:15).

REPENT
Third, one must repent of his sins in order to be saved (Acts 17:30,31). Jesus commanded that “repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all nations beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47). Repentance is the result of being sorry for one’s sins. When the Jews on the day of Pentecost learned from Peter that they had crucified the son of God, they were “cut to the heart” (Acts 2:37). They wanted to be forgiven of their sins, so they asked “What shall we do?” They were told to “Repent, and let every one of you be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:37,38). When one repents, he turns away from his sins (1 Thessalonians 1:9). He shows he has repented by doing good works (Mark 3:8).

CONFESS
Fourth, one must confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. This great truth is the very foundation upon which the church of Christ is built. Jesus said that we must be willing to confess him before men if we want him to confess us before the Father (Matt 10:32,33). The apostle Paul wrote, “But what does it say? The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart (that is the word of faith which we preach) that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:8-10). When Philip preached Jesus to the Ethiopian eunuch, the eunuch asked, “What hinders me from being baptised?” Philip told him he could be baptised if he believed. The eunuch then confessed, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God” (Acts 8:35-38). We must make this important but simple confession also in order to be saved.

BE BAPTISED
Fifth, one must be baptised in order to be saved. Jesus said, “He who believes and is baptised will be saved” (Mark 16:16). Please note that baptism follows belief. One who does not believe the gospel cannot be truly baptised. Therefore babies cannot be baptised for they are too young to (1) Have sin (2) Hear the gospel. (3) Repent of sins and (4) Confess that Jesus Christ is the son of God. Baptism also followed repentance on the day of Pentecost: Peter told those who asked what to do to be saved to “Repent, and let every one of you be baptised” (Acts 2:38). One cannot be truly baptised who has not truly repented.

Baptism is a burial in water (Romans 6:3,4; Colossians 2:12). Therefore sprinkling or pouring are not proper baptisms. Baptism is in order to be saved. One is not saved before baptism. Baptism is for the remission (forgiveness) of sins. Just as Jesus shed his blood for remission of sins, (Matthew 26:28), so we are baptised in order to receive remission of sins. In baptism, the sinner’s sins are washed away be the blood of Jesus (Acts 22:16, Revelation 1:5).

What does one have to do in order to be forgiven of one’s sins? One must (1) Hear the gospel of Christ (2) Believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (3) Repent of all sins (4) Confess that Christ is God’s Son (5) Be baptised for the remission of sins. When a person does this, he is added by the Lord, to his church, ecclesia. He/she is then in Christ where all spiritual blessings are to be found (Ephesians 1:3). In short, they are Christians (1 Peter 4:16; Acts 11:26; 26:28). In summary, have you taken these simple steps to salvation? If not, why not start today?

A Correlation - A Sister’s Role in the Family
Bro Ben Drepaul (New York, USA).

Every now and then someone would ask, ‘What can we do to attract our young people. Are our talks catchy enough, or we divulging the right information, what can we do to keep them?’ On the one hand there are some who feel that our kids are spoilt; they can sit for three hours and watch a movie without once getting up, but can’t sit still in the meeting for one hour, so it’s all a matter of discipline; they should know that ‘church’ is important and be expected to rally out.

On the other hand - some feel that kids should be allowed to make their own decisions, if they are not interested in a religious way of life then maybe one day, when they are older, they will develop an interest. In the meanwhile we should try and keep them entertained, going to all lengths, even if it means relaxing some of the scriptural principles.

And not only the kids, but we as adults, do we require various forms of ‘entertainment’ to keep our attention at the meeting, or to bring us to the meeting for that matter. I was thinking of possible reasons when it would be okay to miss a meeting. Some of the ‘good’ ones are, Oh I have to prepare a talk, after all, it’s a Bible class I have to prepare and so it is okay if I stay home today and get my talk done.

Or, A close relative is getting married and they would be very upset if I did not go to the wedding. In some parts of the world weddings are still done on a Sunday by some religious groups. And so the reasoning is, Well, since they are only getting married once, (well so they say) then I can skip the meeting this week. Some not so good reasons, Well my non-religious relatives are over, and I cannot leave them to go and serve God! Or perhaps you just wake up late and simply cannot make it!

The young people are watching us! They will emulate what they see. This is what I have seen growing up in the truth. When I think about all the families that I have been around, either at the meeting or in their homes, I see a startling correlation between the spiritual dedication of the female leader in the home and the attitude of the children to ecclesial life.

By no means am I attempting to excuse the male, he could be an excellent brother, does his Bible study, gives good talks, is even an arranging brother; however, when he does not have the support of a sister to help him to motivate the children in a spiritual direction we see less and less of the children and, in some cases, the grandchildren appear. I know we frown upon our young females when they fall into this pattern, however since boys do not get pregnant, they escape that predicament.

But back to our mothers. In almost all of the families that I have known, where mom was completely behind the kids - bringing them to the meeting from birth, not distracted by the annual awards event at school, not giving in to the whines about not feeling well today - those little boys and girls are assisting in nurturing their meetings and are fully supportive of all their activities.

On the other hand, where the mom is more concerned about whether Sam will get into Harvard, or the extra lesson on a Sunday or during the mid-week Bible class, so that Raj can top his county, or allowing Sandy to miss Sunday School because it’s her grand performance at the Majestic Piano Finale, that is exactly where the kids are today - not at the meeting but everywhere else. Of course there are exceptions to the rule, and by no means am I trying to lay blame solely on the mother. I am simply pointing out my observations over the years. And I cannot help but notice a strong correlation between these two factors.

Perhaps it’s because children tend to gravitate towards mom’s feelings more so than towards dad’s. So, since we live in an age where females are becoming more and more influential, may I suggest that following the advice of Paul in 1 Tim. 5.14 our mothers bring and keep the future brothers and sisters at our meetings.

A REFUGEE’S PERSONAL TESTIMONY:
Brother Jean-Claude Asende Bembeleza (Boston USA).

I am aged thirty-five years and my wife Sister Mwashite Kotongo thirty-one years, live with our six children in a four bedroom house in Boston, in the Mass Housing program of the USA. Both my parents were United Methodist in my country of Congo, and both were killed during the 1990 war there. I put on the saving name of Jesus Christ at Maputo, Mozambique, on October 1st,1999, in the Ruvuma Hotel when Bro Duncan Heaster baptised me, assisted by Sister Leonie Verster of South Africa and Brother Caotan Cohello; there were other Brethren and Sisters and friends from Congo and Burundi. It was a time of much joy, because on the same day four others were also baptised by Brother Duncan in the Indian Ocean of Mozambique.

We all learned the truth from Bro Paul and Sis Leonie Verster and Bro Caotan of South Africa, They travelled each month to instruct us and bring items for those of us living at the Bobole Refugee Camp.

Since my baptism I strive to keep in the way of salvation and know that my sins are covered by the work of Christ. My aim in life is to attain to the Kingdom of God's grace. I try to let other people know the way of truth. I also read and learn from my Bible every day and I pray God to help me with my family in the future. I get much encouragement and see the Kingdom getting closer. Let us all be of one mind, purpose, faith and love, because we are born of the same seed (1Peter1:22,23). I thank God and you so much for helping me find resettlement in the United States of America; Again my thank's to the US Government and UNHCR Mozambique, and Mozambican Government for together enabling this program for allowing refugees resettlement in the USA; may God bless them. Finally thank's so much from me and my big family to the Boston Ecclesia for the making us so happy and the tremendous help they have given us.

5 Minutes to The Nuclear Doomsday

On January 17th, 2007, the Directors of the symbolic Atomic Doomsday clock advanced it from seven to five minutes nearer to a nuclear holocaust because of the increasing dangers of nuclear
weapons being used. They use the clock as the analogy of the human race being at a time that is “minutes to midnight” where midnight represents destruction by nuclear war. This information comes from the January, 2007, ‘Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ (a group of prominent nuclear scientists) who see the dangers of a nuclear apocalypse as greater than the environmental disaster. They said, “The dangers posed by climatic change are nearly as dire as those posed by nuclear weapons”.
Russia and the United States have 27,000 nuclear weapons, many of which are primed and ready for instant use. The report says, “It’s important to realize 50 of today’s nuclear weapons could kill 200 million people”. Five on England could kill half the population – leaving the rest to ultimately die from the effects.
Already the USA’s high security system has been hacked into – a nuclear disaster could easily be instigated by such acts or terrorist activity or one of the newer nations using them and so activating the nuclear defence systems, which at the press of a button could cause unimaginable destruction – virtually
the genocide of humanity.
The existence of thousands of nuclear weapons, costing trillions, are called ‘defensive weapons’ which means that when a nation is attacked it can/will use them in defence.

The Bible speaks of a form of destruction which some think sounds like the effects of nuclear weapons in the coming battle for Jerusalem. The Message Contemporary Language Bible renders Zech. 14:11-13,

“Never again will Jerusalem be totally destroyed. From now on it will be a safe city. But this is what will happen to all who fought against Jerusalem: God will visit them with a terrible plague. People’s flesh will rot off their bones while they are walking around; their eyes will rot in their sockets and their tongues in their mouths; people will be dying on their feet! Mass hysteria when that happens – total panic!”
This all seems to happen after Christ’s return to the earth and so true believers will escape the effects of this catastrophe, and inherit the earth for ever. MH

Life-Giving Water
Bro Justin Mwakasege (Ipinda, Tanzania)

Water, a colourless and odourless liquid that covers about 70% of the earth’s surface, is the most widely used solvent by nearly all creatures that inhabit and roam the earth.

No wonder the whole Israelite community, having camped at Rephidim during their wilderness journey, quarrelled with Moses when they found out that there was no water there to drink. Moses, the meekest man on earth at the time, was astounded, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?” he implored. “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and our livestock die of thirst?” they roared back at him. This was the third time the people were grumbling against Moses. The first time was at Marah where the water was bitter and they couldn’t drink it. Moses was shown a piece of wood which he threw into the water and the water became sweet. The second time was when the community was between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they came out of Egypt. Here the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. Moses told them that, in effect, they were grumbling against the Lord and not against him (Moses).

The ever-loving and caring Lord gave them quails to eat in the evening and manna in the morning. The manna, which was bread rained down from heaven, was under the layer of dew around the camp in the morning. When the dew was gone, they beheld thin flakes like frost on the ground scattered all over the desert floor around the camp. They did not know what these things were! Moses told them to gather and eat it for it was bread from heaven. Again dew, a form of water, was vital here in bringing down daily bread to the Israelites in their wilderness journey.

The deliverance from Egypt was intensely disappointing for the people. They were poor slaves expecting to be supplied with the good things of the flesh. God’s point of view was that they had been under the influence of idolatry and needed purging and instruction before entry into the Promised Land. They still had with them the presence of God’s pillar of fire by night and cloud by day – a daily and nightly reminder of His presence and guidance. The discernment of the recent bondage in Egypt seemed to fade in their minds, and looking back seemed to become a sort of paradise to them – much preferable to the future promised land. God made promises to them (Exodus 6:5,6), that He would deliver them and bring them to the land. But every promise of God is two-fold: of God’s faithfulness which He was now showing, but also of the people’s faith. And this was sadly lacking.

What about us? When confronted with possible infirmities of the flesh, due to old age or poverty, do we look back with longing to the days of physical fitness or when we had enough to eat, wear and spend, and fail to count our many blessings, with our Promised Land and returned Saviour near at hand? We, too, must learn to trust God and His word, whatever trials come to us, and depend on His goodness.

At Rephidim the people had plenty of water: that same water that gushed out of the rock which was struck by Moses’ staff. That same staff with which he struck the Nile to turn the water into blood. That same staff which was changed into a snake to try to soften Pharaoh’s heart so that he would let the Israelites leave Egypt. Paul, in his well-known words in 1 Corinthians 10, interpreted these events and reminded them and us, ”and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and the rock was Christ” (v 4). Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our infirmities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed (Is 53:4,5). But Paul also reminds us of the privilege and responsibilities of the people who “drank from the spiritual rock” – even as we have. “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us.”

Numbers 2:10 brings us to the sad event nearly forty years later when Moses, in his vexation, struck the rock twice saying, “must we bring you water out of this rock?” This spoiled the type, for in Hebrews we find that “Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many“, (9:28) and that there is a ghastly penalty for those who “crucify the Son of God all over again” (Heb 6:6). Moses, the meekest man on earth (Num 12:3), became angry, broke God’s commandment and as a punishment was not allowed to lead the nation into the Promised Land.

As we have seen, water itself is essential for life. One can do without food for quite a long time, but death will fall upon one relatively soon if water is withheld. Water is symbolic of the Word of God, which brings the promise of eternal life and without it we would die spiritually now and eternally later.

John 4:10 records the discourses between Jesus and the woman at the well of Samaria regarding the life-giving water, where Jesus said, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water”. And continued, “Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst … will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life”, and then tells her of salvation and of worshipping God in Spirit and in truth.

So this living water is the Word of God, preached by Christ, and it is vital to life. In Jeremiah 2:13 God laments that His people had forsaken Him, “the spring of living water” and that they had dug their own cisterns that held no water. God, in His pleasing words in Isaiah, invites the people, “Come all who are thirsty, come to the waters…listen to me, and your soul will delight, I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David”.
What a privilege for us to have heard and responded to this invitation! What comfort we also have in these words in Isaiah 49:10! “They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the heat of the sun scorch them; He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them besides springs of water”.

Being so privileged and with such a glorious hope before us, we must be careful each day not to fall into the habit of murmuring and grumbling at any seeming inconvenience or hardships that may come our way, but with cheerful and appreciative hearts acknowledge the abounding goodness of God to each one of us.

What Is Meant To Be “In Christ”?
Bro Dzingai Submerera (Bulawayo, Zimbabwe)

There are four things that we share in Christ. These are faith, love, hope and unity. The word unity means a lot to us: it means oneness in Christ. I can underline the word oneness. We share suffering with each other: we encourage one another spiritually. We are together in the cup we share, which means we love each other. We are not boastful and we show trust. That means that we do not keep records of those who do wrong. Paul describes the real love that we must have in 1 Corinthians 13.

When we separate ourselves from the darkness to the light, we begin to walk with the same faith, love and hope that unites us all in Christ. We must know Christ’s suffering, resurrection and fellowship (Philippians 3:10). What we must do is to mature from childhood (Philippians 3:15,16). We must not be like a political person who claims agreement in one meeting and afterwards goes his own way. To be a Christian we are joined together with Christ.

Why do we compare what we are doing with what others are doing? Look at the workers in the vineyard who looked at the times others had been working? They all agreed payment of one denarius. We are all working at God’s work. Why do we point at the faith, love and hope of others. Let us look at God’s big picture: He chose one nation, He gave it one land, one tabernacle and one covenant. That was to demonstrate how to be one body. So why do we look upon our differences. While we are in God’s field, are the crops different? I say that to mix crops would not be good farming. If the crop is maize, the field should have merely maize. On harvesting day, only maize meal will be harvested. Look again. God redeemed Israel as one family. By the death of Christ, we are redeemed as one body (Amos 3:1; Ephesians 2:16). When Paul said that we are God’s fellow-workers, should we look at what others are doing or should be continue as fellow-workers as in the time of Jesus. He knew that Judas was going to betray him, but did Jesus throw him out?

As fellow-workers we must work according to the commandments of Jesus. Let us not receive the word of God in vain. If we are all sheep in the same flock, we all hear the same voice (Exodus 34:5). We are all Christadelphians united with Jesus and sharing the same cup. We must love and trust each other with love that does not keep records of bad things. We must not take God’s work as a commercial company. If we changed God’s ways into our ways, that would be our own ungodly desires (Jude 19). God said “Your ways and thoughts are not mine” (Isaiah 55:8). Note what the ecclesia at Corinth was. Many of us are like them. Divisions are still with us. Paul said, “God is the only one who makes things grow” (1 Cor3:7) and each one shall be given his/her reward according to their labour (v8).

We must not use philosophy or a carnal mind to run the vineyard of God. Mark the fact that Romans says that we have all been grafted into the same olive tree, and we are all branches (Romans 11:17). Christ is the only trunk, so why are we judging others and saying that they are not so good? Are we political parties that have factions? 1 John 4:20 warns us that while we say we love God, how can we hate our brothers? Jesus Christ teaches us that we must love in oneness, as he washed the feet of his disciples (John 13:14). Let us be in unity to uplift God in the world. If our house is divided it will finally fall (Matt 12:25). Remember that Christ is not divided. If we are among those who look after God’s sheep or work in the vineyard with a carnal mind, beware, we shall be in the class of the son of Nebat. Why do we put limits on God’s work? If we do, we would oppose Christ’s command (Matthew 28:19).

Teach Us To Pray
Bro Isaac Kapa (Tongaren, Kenya)

As a Christian, praying is essential in our daily lives. We have many prayers written in the Bible, and we may learn to pray from them. Praying is talking to God through Jesus our mediator. Praying to God may mean that we are lacking something which we need to assist us in our daily life.

First of all, when praying, we should thank God for His security in our lives and for the things we have received, then we should pray for forgiveness for our daily sins. Then we should pray for the things we need in our daily lives, and for the sick in hospital and all people in general. Before we end our prayer, we should remember our brethren and sisters for the hard work they do in the Lord by preaching the gospel worldwide. We should end our prayer by asking God to send Jesus soon, to establish the Kingdom of God on earth. We may need to add other things, but prayer should include these things.

A daily
O God our father in heaven, the God of Israel, through Jesus we come to thank you for your daily guidance in our lives, and for the good things you have done for us. We know that we are sinners in our daily walking and talking. We may stumble at any time without knowing, but we ask for forgiveness for whatever we have done wrong. Forgive us our sins and lead us not into temptation. We ask for your guidance in our lives. Give us our daily bread. We have none beside you as a refuge. You are the only one whom we should seek for anything we need and to whom we should run as our refuge. We pray for the sick, for their pains to be relieved, and for the oppressed to be helped. We pray for our brothers and sisters wherever they are to be guided in what they do. Give them strength to disperse your word of truth to the ends of the earth. We pray for our government that we may have peace. So send Jesus our Saviour to save the world, so that your will may be done on earth as it is in heaven.
All these we pray through Jesus Christ our Saviour and King. Amen.

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PEACE: We must value and cherish peace with God above every other consideration, and must carefully avoid, or immediately correct, anything in our lives and conduct that jeopardizes that peace.

ARITHMETICS: “We know that God’s arithmetic is somewhat odd. When you subtract by giving away, you get more.” Desmond Tutu.